


Tick Tock

by BridgetteIrish



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 06:25:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8612719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgetteIrish/pseuds/BridgetteIrish
Summary: Turnabout is fair playKara gives Cat a taste of her own medicine in an effort to jumpstart her on her new adventure.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noie/gifts).



> For Noie on her Birthday.  
> Happy Birthday, darling. I hope you had a wonderful day.
> 
> Many thanks to reginalovesemma and kara-lesbihonest for the fantastic edits

Kara was too keyed up to sleep.  She was full of fight adrenaline and flight endorphins and no small amount of ice cream.  Her victory celebration with Winn and Alex lasted only long enough for Winn to crash on a cot in the DEO and Alex to smile coyly at her phone when she got a secret text message; she’d promised to call Kara in the morning before leaving in a hurry.

Kara let herself into her apartment and spun around in the middle of her living room, polishing off her last spoonful of Chunky Monkey and looking for something to do that might help her settle down enough to sleep.  Normally, she’d head to the office to complete a couple of menial tasks and quiet her mind, preparing for another day as Cat Grant’s right hand.  

But she wasn’t that anymore.  There were no more menial tasks, no more late nights, no more demands for the impossible or the elation that came when the impossible was accomplished.  No more Cat.  

The reality hit Kara hard enough to knock her off her feet.  She flopped onto her sofa and stared at the ceiling.  Missing Cat wasn’t a new sensation.  She had been missing Cat for two years.  She missed her when she went out of town for more than a day or so, or when she spent the day away from the office at meetings around town. She missed her when she banished Kara to the archives to dig out old stories or when she went home early and wasn’t there when Supergirl landed on her balcony. She missed her when Siobhan took her place.  But this felt different.  This was missing Cat with no knowledge of when she might see her again.  It was this feeling that had Kara’s hands hovering over Cat’s number in her phone.

“Sleep is for slackers,” Kara whispered to herself as she tried to talk herself into, or possibly out of, calling Cat Grant in the middle of the night.  Before she could stop herself, her thumb had fallen on the screen and  ‘Calling Miss Grant’ had appeared before her eyes.  She stared at the phone.  She stared as she heard the tinny ring through the speakers set at only half volume.  She stared as she heard the ringing stop and a bit of shuffling on the other end.

It was the slow, rough, sleep-soaked “Hello,” from the other end that reminded Kara to put the phone to her ear.  “Kara?” the voice said again, this time tinged with an edge of alarm.

“H-Hi, Miss Grant.” is all she could get out.  She pressed her lips together and pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead.   _ Stupid, stupid, stupid _ , she thought, banging her head against her hand,  _ what the hell are you even going to say to her? _

“It’s one in the morning, Kara.  Is everything alright?  Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Kara interrupted quickly.

“Are you drunk?” Cat was clearly trying to rationalize an ill-advised late-night phone call from her ex-assistant.  Kara’s heart sank.  Of course Cat would think she only wanted to call her in the middle of the night because she was intoxicated.

“What?  No, I can’t- I just…” Kara sighed.  This was a terrible idea.  “This was a terrible idea,” she said out loud.  “I guess I just… missed you.”

“At one in the morning?”

“I thought you didn’t sleep,” she countered, feeling defensive and raw all of a sudden.  She should have hung up at least a minute ago.

Kara could almost feel Cat’s smile through the phone and she certainly heard it in Cat’s still sleepy voice as she spoke again.  “Yes, well.  I may have exaggerated that fact a bit for… dramatic effect.”

Kara chuckled too.  “Of course you did.  I’m sorry I woke you.  Good night, Miss Grant.”

“Kara!” Cat shouted through the phone before Kara could hit the end button.  “Don’t hang up.  Why did you call, really?”

Kara swallowed.  She was never able to convincingly lie to Cat.  It was another of her superpowers;  She had an ability to wrangle the truth from Kara anytime, anywhere, even when not looking directly at her.  

“I, um, had a weird night.  I was a little keyed up.”  She shrugged even though Cat couldn’t see.  “You always had a knack for calming me down.”

The silence from both ends of the phone was deafening and Kara’s heart was racing.  She flushed from head to toe and cursed her late-night brain and all of the adrenaline for making her so damn brave.  

They broke the silence at the same time.

“Tell me about your adventures,” Kara implored.

“How’s the new job?” Cat asked.  “You first.”  The smile was back and it made Kara smile too.

“The job is… hard.  I’m learning, but slowly.  I really don’t want to talk about Snapper’s meanness or my total lack of anything resembling qualifications for this job.  You kinda tossed me into the deep end on my first day, Cat.”

“So I did.”  Kara had expected some kind of profound life advice, but none came.  Instead she heard Cat yawn.

“I really should let you get back to sleep.”

“No!” Cat seemed eager to keep her on the line.  “No, Kara.  I’ve missed having people to talk to.  I guess I didn’t realize how lonely it would be to leave it all behind.”

Kara smiled and settled herself deeper into her couch cushions.  “So tell me, how’s the water after the dive, Miss Grant?”

“It’s funny you mention water.  I’ve been sailing a lot.  Teaching Carter, living at the beach house.  Watching the ocean.”

Kara frowned.  That all sounded fun, but it was oddly directionless.  It had never occurred to Kara that Cat wouldn’t have a plan once leaving CatCo.  Cat always knew exactly what she wanted.

“So, when do you start… whatever it is you’re starting?  What are you starting?”  Kara was curious.  She hadn’t felt like it was her place to ask before, but something about the quiet night and the heavy silence between their words gave Kara the courage to wonder.  It was that moment that Kara began to picture where Cat was.  If she had been sleeping, she was likely in her bed.  Covered by decadent bedclothes and some kind of sleepwear… presumably.  Was she sitting up?  Laying down?  Or had she gotten up and taken Kara with her to get a glass of water?  About the time Kara was imagining the amount of creamy, pale skin on display in Cat’s breezy beachside bedroom, Cat spoke again.

“I don’t really know yet.  I haven’t decided.”  She sounded slightly ashamed, embarrassed to admit she didn’t have all the answers.

Kara grinned evilly to herself and took the opportunity laid before her.  “So, let me get this straight.”  She picked at a loose thread on her favorite throw pillow.  “You decide to give up the life you spent two decades building so you can try something new.  You are Cat freaking Grant.  You have the entire world at your feet and you just… go to sleep?”

“It was nighttime.”  Cat’s voice had gone low and husky again, like she was fighting back anger and laughter all at once.  The thrill it sent through Kara forced her to close her eyes and swallow back an inelegant moan.

“Cat?”  Kara controlled the shake in her voice and gathered her courage.

"Mm?”  Cat was sounding sleepy again and Kara knew the call was coming to an end.  

“You have 48 hours.”  She hung up before Cat could reply.

A text message came through as she was brushing her teeth.  

_ [Rude] _

_ {Goodnight, Miss Grant.  I’ll check your progress in the morning} _

 

++++++++++++++

 

The morning sun woke Kara and she rolled over and smiled at the ugly popcorn ceiling above her bed.  She glanced at her watch.  The clock had started at 1:12 am and it was now 9:43.  She plucked her phone from the nightstand and fired a quick text to Cat before getting up to sate her growling stomach.

_ {39 hours, 30 minutes and 15 seconds.  Tick Tock, Miss Grant} _

_ [I’ve already decided.  I’m sailing around the world and documenting my journey.] _

Kara called Cat.  She didn’t wait for a greeting before launching into her lecture.  “That’s already been done, and you can’t change the world from a tiny boat in the middle of the ocean.  Besides, you hate waterbeds, what makes you think a bed on the water is going to be any better?  Supergirl would be saving you inside of a week.”

“Well, you grew a spine overnight, Kiera,” Cat grumped.  “Did you call just to yell at me?”

Kara smiled and softened her voice.  “Dig deep, Cat Grant.  What is it you want?”

She heard Cat’s sigh but received no response.  “39 hours, 28 minutes and 32 seconds.”

“I hate you.”  Cat said and hung up.

“I know.”  Kara grinned into her cereal bowl and ate two extra helpings to calm her nerves.

 

+++++++++++++

 

The next phone call came from Cat less than eight hours later.

“I’m buying the National City Sharks.”

Kara had to hold in a laugh.  “Okay.”

“If Mark Cuban can own a basketball team, I can own a baseball team.”

“Cat, do you even like baseball?”

“Of course I do,” she said haughtily.  “Contrary to your belief Kara, you don’t know everything about me.”

Kara gripped her phone and bit back a sarcastic remark.  “Of course not.  This all happened very fast.  Are you sure?”

Cat cleared her throat.  “I have some due diligence to do before the final paperwork is drawn up, but yes.  I’m sure.”  There was a pause and Kara allowed the silence, sensing Cat had more to say.  “Carter and I are going to the game tonight.  We’d like for you to join us.”

Kara looked at her watch.  “You have less than 32 hours to plan the rest of your life.  Are you sure you want to spend it at a baseball game?”

Kara could practically hear Cat scowl on the other end of the line.  “I am not beholden to your ridiculous deadline, Kiera.  Are you coming to the game or not?”

“On one condition.”  No response.  “You give me the exclusive when you buy the team.”

“Done.”

“I’ll meet you at the stadium.”

“Fine.”

The call disconnected and Kara’s knees gave out on her.  A baseball game with Cat Grant and her teenage son.  Casual Cat doing casual things with casual Kara.  It felt intimate and warm in a way Kara was unprepared to handle.

Cat had a private box at the top of the stadium.  They were brought an endless supply of hot dogs, popcorn and soda.  Cat was as devastating in her skinny jeans, fitted jersey and ballcap as Kara had imagined in a dozen fantasies.  She spent the majority of the game reminding herself to breathe and sipping root beer while watching mother and son heckle the Metropolis Comets’ first baseman into no less than three errors.

When Carter slipped out to raid the swag shop at the seventh inning stretch Kara sat down next to Cat in the front row of the box.  “You’re a terrible influence on him.”

Cat scoffed.  “Other way around, I’m afraid.  He gets that from his father.  I picked it up from him.”  She shrugged nonchalantly.  “He’s the best baseball strategist I’ve ever met.  I’ll probably have to hire him as a junior manager when the paperwork is final.”

“That… doesn’t surprise me in the least.”  Kara sighed and looked around.  “So, this is it, your next adventure?”

Cat shook her head.  “This won’t take up my time.  Only my money.  It’s a bucket list item, but not the endgame.”  She fidgeted and looked down at her hands.  It was the first time Kara had ever seen her unsure.  Kara didn’t push the deadline, but instead covered Cat’s hands with her own.  “Stop trying so hard, Cat.  The answer may be right in front of you.”  Their eyes met and Cat’s tongue darted out to moisten her lips.  Kara realized what she said and began to backpedal.  She pulled her hands away and babbled incoherently.  “I didn’t mean in front of you like now.  Not right this second.  I only meant, y’know figuratively that… the answer may be… closer than you think and-”

“Kara,” Cat whispered.  Kara’s jaw snapped closed with a click of her teeth.  “Shut up.”  Cat had drawn impossibly close.  The roar of the crowd drew her focus from Kara’s lips and at the same second Carter returned burdened with a sack full of Sharks goodies.  Kara stood abruptly, overturning her root beer in her haste to withdraw from Cat’s intoxicating presence.

“I got you a hat, Kara, because you don’t have one and everyone needs a good Sharks hat.”  He tossed it to her and plopped back down next to his mother.  Kara backed out of the box with an excuse about the restroom and spent the next ten minutes catching her breath on the mezzanine. She listened to the shouts of the crowd, the occasional crack of a bat, and Cat’s ever-present heartbeat, strong and steady on the other side of the door.

Kara ducked back into the box with two innings left.  She stole longing glances at Cat over Carter’s head and smiled nervously each time Cat caught her staring.  She listened intently as the Grants taught her all about the ins and outs of baseball.  Carter drew little Xs and Os on tiny napkins explaining sacrifice bunts, double plays and the all-important cut-off man.  Cat gripped her shoulder over the back of the seats every time the Sharks managed a base hit or a daring warning track catch.  Kara willed herself to remember each moment, to lock it away so she could always remind herself how it felt to be so casually and physically linked to Cat.

She was feeling better by the time Cat’s town car pulled up to the front of her apartment.  Carter was snoozing against Cat’s shoulder and Kara was feeling bold again.  She met Cat’s eyes and gave her a close-lipped smile.  She took a quick glance at her watch and used the same hand to bravely move a lock of blonde hair away from Cat’s surprised face.  “It’s 10:12, Miss Grant.  You have 27 hours.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Cat smiled and Kara exited the car, giving a final glance back through the tinted window to see Cat staring after her.

Kara was far to anxious and energized to sleep.  She took her time, for once, pulling on her suit and leapt from her window with a bit of a flourish.  She circled National City, flew north up the coast a few dozen miles before turning around and heading back south.  It hadn’t been her intention to end up floating outside Cat’s sprawling beachside mansion, but before she knew it, the French doors to the second story balcony were sliding open and Cat Grant stood before her, still wearing her Sharks jersey, but paired now with a pair of tight fitting yoga pants.  She was clutching a steaming mug of tea, a superpowered glance at the paper tag suggested some kind of chamomile.  Was Cat having trouble sleeping too?

“Supergirl.”  Cat seemed surprised to see her.  “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Kara shrugged gallantly.  It was always easier to be herself around Cat when dressed in the suit.  She was brave and confident, a little bit funny and best of all, honest.  “Just checking in, I guess.  It’s been awhile.  I missed you.”

Cat’s enigmatic smile disarmed Kara.  She knew the charade she had been carefully maintaining for Cat had been slowly crumbling for weeks.  It wouldn’t hold forever.  Kara would have to prepare herself for the day they let the act go and the truth lay bare between them.  If Kara was honest with herself, she was ready for Cat to know now.

“So it would seem,” was all she said in reply.

“How are you, Cat?  Enjoying the new journey?”

Cat leaned on the railing of her balcony and looked up, past Supergirl to the stars behind her head.  “I haven’t started on it yet.”

Kara tilted her head to the side.  “You never struck me as the type to be indecisive.  Don’t wait too long.”

Cat rolled her eyes.  “You and Kara, I swear.  Why the big hurry?”

Kara dared to fly closer.  She landed on the balcony and faced away from the ocean, into the house where warm light bathed the deck in a soft yellow glow, propping her elbows on the railing next to Cat’s own.  “Kara Danvers is a smart girl, Cat.  Maybe she sees an opportunity for you that you haven’t seen for yourself yet.  She can’t push you into it.  You have to find it on your own, the way you let her find her way.”  

Kara stole a glance at Cat’s profile, letting her eyes linger on full pink lips, the way they had at their last goodbye.  “You’re her hero.  All heros need a little nudge from time to time.”  Kara smiled.  “Rao knows you gave me my fair share.  And I have a whole team of people pushing me out of my little nest when I get too comfy.”

Cat seemed to take that in and nodded quietly to herself, filing whatever that errant thought was away for another time.  Kara had never wanted so badly to read someone’s thoughts.  Cat’s face gave nothing away, but the sad smile she turned on Kara in the next minute made Kara’s heart ache.  “And what if I don’t want to be her hero?  What if we’re meant to be… something else?”

Kara’s eyes flashed and she carefully schooled her features but her insides were a riot of emotion.  She needed to leave before she said something to give herself away.  “The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”  She reached over and gently took Cat’s mug.  She gave it a quick blast of heat vision and set it back on the railing.  “Your tea was getting cold.”  Kara lifted into the air.  “We’ll talk again soon.  Get some rest.”

“I don’t rest.”

Kara shrugged.  “Try for me.”  And she tore into the sky, leaving a sadder but wiser Cat Grant behind.

When she arrived back at her apartment, she checked the time.  11:37.

She shot off a quick text to Cat

_ {Twenty six hours, 24 minutes, 29 seconds.  I had a great time tonight.} _

She turned off her phone and forced herself to sleep.

 

++++++++++++++++

 

When she turned her phone back on in the morning there was no snarky text message waiting for her.  She was disappointed but unsurprised.

She didn’t hear from Cat the entire day.  She watched the clock, spent a few hours chasing down sources for her latest article, pecked at notes for Cat’s Sharks article and watched the clock some more.  At 1:12 in the afternoon, she couldn’t resist another text message.

_ {Twelve hours, Cat.  Found your calling yet? ;-)} _

She was disheartened by the lack of response, but forced herself to set her phone aside and wait patiently until Cat reached out.

With five hours left she turned on the Sharks game and tried to follow along with what the Grants had taught her the night before.

With four hours left she ordered enough Chinese to feed even Kara for more than one meal.

With three hours left she texted with Alex until her sister insisted she had to sleep before her early bird shift in the morning.

With two hours left she flew around the city looking for emergencies, but National City was quiet.

With an hour left she screamed into a pillow and did pushups in her living room until she lost count.

At 12:42 Kara had had enough.  Cat had given up on her and she wasn’t about to allow that to happen.

_ {I know you’re ignoring me.  You have 30 minutes} _

_ [You are not my boss.] _

_ {Twenty-five minutes} _

_ [Or what, you’ll tell my mother on me?] _

_ {Twenty minutes} _

_ [Leave me alone] _

_ {No.  15 minutes} _

After that there was no response.  She continued to text.  Ten minutes then five.  The radio silence dug at Kara’s heart.  She had pushed too hard.  With two minutes left Kara dialed Cat’s number.  It rang far too many times before going to voicemail.  “Cat please.  I’m sorry I pushed.  It doesn’t matter.  I just want you to be happy.  Please call me.”

With a minute left she sent a final text message.

{I’m sorry.  No deadline.  Just us.  I promise.  Talk to me.}

She sat on her sofa and dissolved into tears.  She watched the little stopwatch she’d set on her phone tick down one second at a time.  With 30 seconds left there was a knock at her door.  A glance through the wood had Kara leaping to her feet.

“Kara!  Let me in.  I still have… 20 seconds!”

Kara threw the deadbolts, tossed open the door and found her arms full of a panting Cat Grant.  Soft warm lips brushed the shell of her ear as Kara enveloped her in a hug and lifted her off the ground.  “You live too far away.  It took me 25 minutes to get here.”

As Kara’s phone rang out the end of her countdown, Cat pressed her lips to Kara’s and sighed audibly into her mouth.  Kara returned the kiss, setting her back on the floor and bringing both hands to Cat’s cheeks.  Kara’s tears mingled with Cat’s and she breathed the woman’s presence.  Tongues danced and their bodies pressed together, pulling strength and warmth and joy from each other.  As they parted, their eyes met and so did their matching smiles.  

“So,” Kara ventured, drawing a confident hand down Cat’s arm to entwine their fingers.  “I ask you ‘what do you want to do with the rest of your life?’ and your answer is-”

“You,” Cat finished with another kiss, shorter, but just as soulful.

“Me,” Kara choked out.  Her other hand squeezed Cat’s hip where it had landed without either of them noticing.

“Well,” Cat continued.  “I have some other ideas too.  Did you know Supergirl has a whole team of people working with her?  I can’t help but wonder if she has an opening.”  Cat was picking at a loose button on Kara’s cardigan and decidedly avoiding eye contact.

Kara drew Cat’s chin up so she was looking at her.  “She might,” Kara said confidently.  “And she’d love to work with you.”

Cat’s smile lit up her whole face.

Kara gave her a pointed look.  “You’ll have to learn to fight.”

“I’m sure Supergirl will teach me.”

Kara leaned in and brushed her lips against Cat’s, enjoying the catch in Cat’s breath and the way her hands clutched at her clothes.  “She’ll certainly have fun trying,” she teased and captured Cat’s lips again.


End file.
